Paper roll coding device

ABSTRACT

A device for color coding the wrapper of a paper roll to permit easy identification of wrapped paper rolls. Automatic color coding means are disposed for marking the wrapper as it is being fed to and around the paper roll. The automatic color coding means comprises spray means for a marking fluid closely spaced between the wrapper feed device and the paper roll to be wrapped, with the spray means being actuated to apply a stripe of perdetermined color marking fluid to the wrapper.

United States Patent [191 Brenner et a1,

1 1 PAPER ROLL CODING DEVICE [75] Inventors: Lawrence A. Brenner, Westchester; Andrew Lopuski, Pottstown, both of [73] Assignee: Beloit Corporation, Beloit, Wis.

[22] Filed: May 4, 1972 1211 Appl. No.: 250,159

[52] U.S. Cl. .f. 53/131, 53/211 [51] Int. Cl B65b 61.26 [58] Field of Search 53/131,211,214; 118/313,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,893,191 7/1959 Lancaster 53/214 X 3,667,258 6/1972 Newton 118/315 X 2,964,419

12/1960 Link et a1. 118/313 X 001v TROL SYSTEM MA RKl/VG FLU/D [1;] 3,795,082 Mar.5, 1974 3,612,408 11/1971 l-lolleman 239/587 3,716,964 2/1973 Reynolds et a1. 2,624,163 1/1953 Stirn 53/14 Primary ExaminerTravis S. McGehee Assistant Examiner.1ohn Sipos Attorney, Agent, or Firm'Parme1ee, Miller, Welsh & Kratz [5 71 1 ABSTRACT A device for color coding the wrapper of a paper roll to permit easy identification of wrapped paper rolls. Automatic color coding means are disposed for marking the wrapper as it is being fed to and around the paper roll. The automatic color coding means comprises spray means for a marking fluid closely spaced between the wrapper feed device and the paper roll to be wrapped, with the spray means being actuated to apply a stripe of perdetermined co1or marking fluid to the wrapper.

9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PAIENTEDHAR 5W 3.795.082

SHEU 1 BF 2 All? SUPPLY l8 25 m CONTROL 22 SYSTEM MARK/N6 FLU/D 2 E m & 9 J NW 3 mm a v\\ w FEW; 9 SE28 2 A 8 H WAN k\ m S W 9w H m m3 w 1 R w\ 3 v M 3 w L m k H & A P I O M QPK '1 PAPER IROLL CODING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION After rolls of paper have been slit and wound to the proper size, wrapper paper is selected and fed about these rolls which can be of substantial size. The proper rolls have a protective wrapping applied thereabout and are stored or shipped to the paper user. In any case it is highly desireable to be able to easily identify the specific paper roll of a given production run, which may differ as to quality, texture, and other such factors. The wrapper material is generally a protective coating which may be waterproof or water-resistant paper. The apparatus for feeding wrapping paper onto a paper roll is conventionaland well-known in the art. A paper roll wrapping apparatus generally comprises a wrapper roll storage portion in which a variety of wrapping papers are stored in rolls which can be selectively actuated to feed the desired wrapping material via a drive roll system and glue applying roll system to the paper roll for the actual wrapping operation.

It has been the practice to manually apply color coded paint or ink to the already wrapped roll as it is being transferred for storage or shipment. This involves a separate operation on a large, heavy roll which is time consuming. By applying the marking stripe to the wrapper when the wrapper is disposed about the paper roll it is possible for the marking fluid to soak through the wrapper and thus mark the paper on the roll resulting in waste.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An automatic color coding means is detailed in combination with a paper roll wrapping apparatus having a support frame, a drive means, and glue dispensing means, and an associated wrapper feed system for feeding a sheet of wrapping material to the drive means,- and the glue dispensing means, and then to a wrapping station where the sheet of wrapping material is applied about a paper roll. The color coding means comprises a marking fluid spray means disposed intermediate the glue dispensing means and the wrapping station. The color coding means includes means for actuating the spray means to spray the marking fluid onto the wrapping material as the material is fed past the spray means to form a color stripe of variable but predetermined width onto the wrapping material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the overall paper roll wrapping apparatus including the color coding means of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the spray means portion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the wrapper drive portion and spray means portions of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

The color coding system of the present invention can be best understood by reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings. In FIG. 1, a dispenser is provided to dispense any specific wrapper fed into this dispenser from the backstand unwind station, not shown. The wrapper paper varies in width, specific grade or quality, which may be water-repellent or water-resistant. Such a wrapper storage and dispenser 10 is shown in greater detail in copending application Ser. No. ll2,68 6, filed Feb. 4, 1971 now U.S.

Pat. No. 3,688,961 entitled Wrapper Selector and Dispenser, which application is owned by the assignee of the present invention. The wrapper selector 11 can be selectively actuated by dispenser means, not shown here, to feed a specific wrapper material as a continuous sheet 11a through the drive rolls 12, and glue applying rolls 13. The wrapper paper 11a is then directed about the paper roll 14 which is being wrapped. The wrapper sheet 11a preferably is of a width greater than the width of the paper roll to be wrapped to more completely cover the sides of the paper roll with wrapper. The paper roll 14 is generally disposed upon support rolls lSQWrapper cutting means, not shown, are included with the wrapper selector and dispenser apparatus 10 for providing a predetermined sheet length of wrapper material which is to be applied to the paper roll. The drive rolls 12 and glue applying rolls 13 are included within a support frame 16 through which the wrapper materal is passed.

A color coding system generally designated as 17 is disposed from this support frame 16. The color coding system 17 comprises a support bracket 18 mounted from the support frame 16, with support bracket 18 being connected at pivot junction 18a to support link 19 and air supply tubing means 20 which connects the air supply to spray means 21. A plurality of spray means 21, one for each color to beuse'd, is supported from a common tubular support 22 which is supported at each end, as best seen in FIG. 2. The spray'means 21 includes a marking fluid feed tubing 23 and an adjustable spray nozzle 24 which extends toward the moving wrapper sheet and is generally directed normal to the wrapping sheet. The pivot connection 18a permits an adjustment of the angle at which the spraynozzle is directed relative to the wrapper sheet.

The control solenoid-25 is disposed in an air supply line.20 and is eiectrically connected to control system 26. The control solenoid 25 is generally normally closed and is actuated to open and to thereby connect the air supply to the spray means 21 to cause a stripe of marking fluid to be applied to the wrapper sheet. The actuation of the wrapper selector and dispenser 10 and drive rolls 12 can be used as the timing signal which is transmitted to the control system 26, which has a built-in time delay before actuating the solenoid 25 to open it and deliver air 'to the spray means 21 to cause a stripe of marking fluid to be applied to the wrapper sheet. The solenoid 25 is actuated fora variable time dependent on the length of the wrapper wrapper sheet is fed past the spray means 21. The machine operator selects which spray means 21 are to be actuated with any number being used on a given wrapper sheet, and this can be easily built into the control system 26. Conventionalproximity sensors which detect the leading and trailing .edge of the wrapper sheet being dispensed are used to provide the signal for opening and closing the solenoid 25, and thereby initiating and terminating the spraying of marking fluid. The color coded marking stripes preferably extend along the length of the wrapper sheet so as to extend about i the circumference of the wrapped paper roll for ease ofidentification and retrieval.

The plurality of marking fluid spray means 21 as seen in FIG. 2 permits the application of any number of color coding stripes of marking fluid to provide a greater variety of identifying indicia' upon the wrapper.

The paper rolls which are to be wrapped can vary in diameter from about 2 feet to about 6 feet, and the wrapper sheet is generally driven by the drive rolls 12 at a speed of about 120 feet per minute. The color coding marking fluid which is spray appliedto the: wrapper sheet is preferably a quick-drying ink composition so that the ink drys upon the wrapper before the wrapper sheet passes from the spray position to the position in which it makes contact with one of the paper roll support rolls 15, so that there is no possibility of transfer of ink to the support rolls. The wrapper sheet is generally several feet wide and the, spray means for the individual spray nozzles are spaced across the width of the wrapper sheet. The spray nozzles are adjustable in length and can also be adjusted-to provide a predetermined width of marking stripe. The spray means are generally spaced at least several inches apart and the marking stripe is of the order of about an inch in width.

Such marking stripes can be readily identified in a storage area or during shipment. The marking stripes will completely encircle thepaper roll for easeof identifications;

ltis generally the practice to apply a glue stripe via glue rolls 13 at the leading edge and the trailing edgeof the wrapper sheet which is to be wrapped upon the paper roll 14. This serves to glue the wrapper sheet to the paper roll and to securely seal the wrapper sheet to itself.

The apparatus of the present invention thus permits automatic and efficient application of a plurality of identifying colored stripes to a wrapper sheet as it is being fed to wrap a paper roll. The color stripesare automatically adjusted in length to the wrapper sheet length, and thesprayed ink is dry when .the wrapper is wound about the paper roll. The color of the ink being used c an be varied by merely changing the color ink in the ink supply tanks, with the spray equipment remaining in place. The apparatus provides uniform, easily readable, identifying colored stripes on the wrapper, so that paper rolls in storage or shipment can be quickly and easily identified.

Weclaim: Y 1. In a paper. roll wrapping apparatus having a drive means, and an associated wrapper feed system for feeding a sheet of wrapping material to the drive means and then to a wrapping station where the sheet of wrapping material is applied about a paper roll, the improvement comprising marking fluid spray means disposed-intermediatethe drive means and the wrapping station and means for actuating said spray means to spray a stream of'marking fluid on the outer surface of thewrapping 4 material as the material is fed past the spray means to form a longitudinally extending stripe of predetermined width and color on the outer surface of the'wrapping improvement wherein the marking fluidspray means depends from said frame and wherein said spray means is attached to the frame by a pivotal connection so as to enable a predetermined positioning of the spray means relative to the wrapper sheet.

4. in the paper roll apparatus defined in claim I, the

improvement wherein a plurality of marking fluid spray means are provided, said plurality of spray means being disposed in a direction transverse to the feed direction of the wrapping material. 5. [n the paper roll apparatus defined in claim 4, the improvement wherein said marking fluid spray means are pivotally attached to a suspension box attached to thesupport frame so as to enable the spray means to be directed normal to the sheet.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 4, wherein glue application means are provided between the drive means and marking fluid spray means. I a

7. in the paper roll apparatus defined in claim 6, the improvement comprising actuating means for said plurality of marking fluid spray means,which actuating means actuates at least one predetermined spray means upon feeding of the wrapping sheet'to a position beyond the glue dispensing means.

8. in the paper roll apparatus defined in claim 7, the

improvement wherein said marking fluid spray means comprises air actuated spray nozzles and wherein said marking fluid is a marking ink.

9. A paper roll wrapping apparatus including means for feeding a wrapper sheet, roller drive means for conveying thefeed wrapper sheet in a generally planar condition to the paper roll about which the wrapper sheet is wound, the improvement comprising marking fluid spray means disposed intermediate the roller drive means and the paper roll including automatic actuating means to spray a stream of marking fluid onto the outer surface of the generally planar wrapping sheet as it passes the spray means to ,form a longitudinally extending' colored stripe on the outer surface of the wrapper sheet prior to winding of the wrapper sheet about the 

1. In a paper roll wrapping apparatus having a drive means, and an associated wrapper feed system for feeding a sheet of wrapping material to the drive means and then to a wrapping station where the sheet of wrapping material is applied about a paper roll, the improvement comprising marking fluid spray means disposed intermediate the drive means and the wrapping station and means for actuating said spray means to spray a stream of marking fluid on the outer surface of the wrapping material as the material is fed past the spray means to form a longitudinally extending stripe of predetermined width and color on the outer surface of the wrapping material.
 2. The combination specified in claim 1, wherein the spray means comprises a plurality of spray means spaced across the width of the wrapping sheet to permit application of a plurality of color coded stripes to the wrapper sheet.
 3. In the paper roll apparatus defined in claim 1, the improvement wherein the marking fluid spray means depends from said frame and wherein said spray means is attached to the frame by a pivotal connection so as to enable a predetermined positioning of the spray means relative to the wrapper sheet.
 4. In the paper roll apparatus defined in claim 1, the improvement wherein a plurality of marking fluid spray means are provided, said plurality of spray means being disposed in a direction transverse to the feed direction of the wrapping material.
 5. In the paper roll apparatus defined in claim 4, the improvement wherein said marking fluid spray means are pivotally attached to a suspension box attached to the support frame so as to enable the spray means to be directed normal to the sheet.
 6. The apparatus defined in claim 4, wherein glue application means are provided between the drive means and marking fluid spray means.
 7. In the paper roll apparatus Defined in claim 6, the improvement comprising actuating means for said plurality of marking fluid spray means, which actuating means actuates at least one predetermined spray means upon feeding of the wrapping sheet to a position beyond the glue dispensing means.
 8. In the paper roll apparatus defined in claim 7, the improvement wherein said marking fluid spray means comprises air actuated spray nozzles and wherein said marking fluid is a marking ink.
 9. A paper roll wrapping apparatus including means for feeding a wrapper sheet, roller drive means for conveying the feed wrapper sheet in a generally planar condition to the paper roll about which the wrapper sheet is wound, the improvement comprising marking fluid spray means disposed intermediate the roller drive means and the paper roll including automatic actuating means to spray a stream of marking fluid onto the outer surface of the generally planar wrapping sheet as it passes the spray means to form a longitudinally extending colored stripe on the outer surface of the wrapper sheet prior to winding of the wrapper sheet about the paper roll. 